| from Guns & Ammo April 2008 |
T/C Goes Long
The author took his best-ever bull elk at a hair under 300 yards with the new Icon Classic.
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Long-action models further deviate from the original design in that they have a floorplate rather than the short-action rifle's detachable magazine. I much prefer the standard floorplate for its simplicity and security. Although I've never had a problem with my .308 Icon's detachable magazine, I have inadvertently ejected magazines on other rifles.
Like the original, the new Icon's barreled action is pillar bedded into an attractive American walnut stock with 20-lpi cut checkering. However, the Icon Classic has a more pedestrian grade of walnut than the rich, finely figured select-grade walnut offered on the short-action guns.
The only other significant difference is the ejection port, which T/C opened up considerably on the new Classic. I prefer the larger ejection port because it allows me to manipulate rounds in the magazine and remove cartridges were the rifle to misfeed. That is not possible on the short-action Icon, which has a solid top and a very small ejection port.
Overall quality of the test rifle was excellent. Every part was precisely fitted. The bolt worked smoothly, the inletting was perfect, and the hinged floorplate locked up securely but released easily with a firm push on the release, which is located at the back edge of the floorplate. I was impressed with its fit and finish and performance in the field, but I couldn't wait to subject the Icon to a proper accuracy test.
Shots Fired
For my range session, I used the 2.5-10x42 Nikon Monarch I'd affixed to the rifle before the hunt. I only had a few days with the rifle, so I didn't get to try as many loads as I would have liked, but I got a pretty good idea of the rifle's capabilities with the three factory loads I had on hand.
I really liked the Icon's crisp, clean trigger. Mine broke at three pounds, seven ounces and is user-adjustable for pull weight, overtravel and sear engagement .
Untitled Document
ACCURACY RESULTS: T/C ICON CLASSIC |
|---|
| LOAD |
BULLET WEIGHT (gr.) |
CLAIM VELOCITY (fps) |
AVERAGE ACCURACY (in.) |
| Cor-Bon DPX |
180 |
3,000 |
1.02 |
| Federal AccuBond |
180 |
2,960 |
0.72 |
| Remington Core-Lokt |
180 |
2,960 |
2.22 |
| All Velocity figures are claimed. Accuracy results are the average of five three-shot groups at 100 yards using a Caldwell rifle rest and a rear bag. |
I was also pleasantly surprised to find that the Icon's relatively straight stock and soft recoil pad did a great job of attenuating recoil. However, I was not so impressed with the two-inch groups I saw downrange with Remington's 180-grain Core-Lokt Ultra load.
Next I tried Federal's 180-grain AccuBond. My first group measured right at an inch, but subsequent groups were much better. My best group measured an impressive .348 inch.
I also tested Cor-Bon's 180-grain DPX load. Cor-Bon's ammunition is usually pretty accurate, and the Barnes Triple Shok bullet used in the DPX line boasts excellent on-game performance, so I had high hopes for this one. I was not disappointed. The DPX load produced a .89-inch best group and a 1.02-inch average.
The Bottom Line
As good as it shoots, no gun is perfect. In the case of the Icon Classic, I did have one persistent problem. Almost every time I worked the bolt, the empty case wound up in the action. Sometimes it ended up case-mouth-forward, other times it was case-mouth-backward. I had a devil of a time figuring it out until I watched a friend work the bolt. When he did, I clearly saw the ejected round strike the Nikon's windage turret and bounce back into the rifle. When I moved the scope back a bit, the problem went away.
Other than that one annoying issue that had nothing to do with the rifle, I couldn't find anything to complain about. The Icon Classic fed, fired, extracted and ejected without a hiccup, and its excellent accuracy far exceeded my factory-rifle expectations. It's also a darn-good-looking rifle. I can recommend it without hesitation.
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